Squawker for toys



April 20, 1943. o. B. CROWELL SQUAWKER FOR TOYS Filed June 18, 1941 fm enl orq Orly B. Crave.

Patented Apr. 20, 1943 SQUAWKER. Fort TOYS OrbyB. Crowell;Toronto,ntario; Canada, assignor to Viceroy Manufacturing Compan Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application "June is, 1941; Serial No. 398,515 2 Claims. (Cl. 46-179) by the application of air pressure vibrates and emits an unusual or attractive sound. Such noise m'aking'device's have been commonly called squawkers and these are not'only expensive to manufacture but are very delicate in their constructionand they very readily cease to function.

The principal objects of the present invention are to devise a squawker which will have a much longer life than those at present in use and which may be manufactured and installed in the toy at much less cost.

The principal feature of the invention consists in the novel construction of a tubular rubber member having a flattened portion presenting parallel closely adjacent surfaces, which on the external application of air pressure will vibrate rapidly and create a desired sound efiect.

A further important feature of the invention consists in sealing the round or cylindrical portion of the tube within a closure member secured in the toy with the flattened portion of the tube extending inwardly from the closure.

A further important feature of the invention consists in the novel method of securing and sealing the squawker member within the toy closure and coincidentally securing and sealing the closure member in the toy.

A still further important feature consists in the novel method of making the tubular squawker.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a plan view of a mandrel for forming the squawker tube showing a length of the tube thereon.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the device illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an elevational view showing a length of the flat tube squawker structure having a round core inserted into one end thereof to form a cylindrical end thereon.

Figure 4 is an elevational view showing the member as illustrated in Figure 3 inserted into a disc closure adapted to be inserted into an opening in the toy.

Figure 5 is a sectional view through a portion of the toy with the closure member inserted therein and both the closure member and the squawker member sealed in position.

Figure 6 is a small perspective view showing a small toy to which the device is applied.

Figure '7 is a side elevational detail view of the squawker device separated from the closure member looking toward the edge of the flat tubular structure.

Figure 8 is an end view of the device shown in Figure 7 looking at the round end, and Figure 9 is an end view of the device shown in Figure '7 looking at the fiat end.

In carrying this invention into effect it is found desirable to form a flat'rubber tube of the desired thickness by dipping, and the tube I, as'shown in Figures 1 and 2, is built up on the mandrel 2, which is in the form of a thin strip of fibre, or it may be metal or hard rubber.

The tube thus formed is then cut into lengths, as indicated by the cross dotted lines 3 in Figure 1. These short lengths of the flat rubber tube have inserted into one end a round or substantially round peg or stud 4. This is inserted for a portion of the length of the tube, perhaps a littie over a third of its length, and the tube with its stud 4 is inserted into a circular opening in a disc or washer 5 which is preferably made of cardboard so that the flat portion 6 of the tube extends to one side of the disc and the round portion 1 extends to the other side.

The closure disc 5 is then inserted into an opening in the toy 8, which opening is preferably skirted, that is to say, the tubular extension 9 formed on the toy is turned inwardly, as illustrated in Figure 5.

Compounded rubber latex is then poured over the disc 5 so that it flows around the circular end portion 1 of the tubular squawker and also flows into the central opening in the disc, thus completely sealing the squawker in place, and the latex also flows around the perimeter of the disc 5 and forms a sealing contact with the surface of the skirt 9.

The toy is then vulcanized and the latex covering of the disc 5 is united to the opening of the toy and the centrally arranged squawker is sealed in position. After the toy has been vulcanized the round stud 4, inserted into the squawker member, is withdrawn and the circular portion of the squawker remains vulcanized to the latex capping of the closure disc 5.

The toy is of course full of air and when it is squeezed the pressure of air around the flat parallel side walls of the inward portion of the squawker causes the lips to vibrate but the cross sectional thickness of the walls at the ends of the flat tube formation is such as to prevent the entire collapsing of the parallel fiat sides of the tube and the closing of the orifice and air continues to escape through the opening, so that as long as there is air within the toy and pressure is continued, the air will escape through the narrow orifice, causing the vibration mentioned and the creation of a noise that is attractive to the child.

It will be readily understood that this single piece of rubber of tubular form sealed into the closur will remain a constant element of the toy and the roughest kind of treatment will not break the squawker. Further, as it is all one .piece and made of rubber there is no destructible element such as a reed or the binding of a reed, to.

it is found difficult to secure them to the rubber in such a manner that they cannot be dislocatedby a child either in using its fingers or its teeth, and the hard metal or wooden objects have often created very serious damage by getting into the throat or trachea of a child.

In the present device there is nothing that can be pulled apart or break or become loose and it remains to function as long as the toy stays intact.

The squawker as herein described is of course readily adaptable to other types of toys where the emission of air is due to the action of a weighted bellows, or it may be applied to other forms of toys Where some mechanical piston-like structure is utilized to create a pressure of air.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a toy, a length of rubber tubing having flattened walls spaced apart to permit a flow of air therebetween, said tube having a cylindrical portion at one end, a disc having a central opening through which the cylindrical portion of the tube is inserted in spaced relation thereto, and a coating of rubber covering the outer side of said disc and encircling the cylindrical portion of the rubber tube and forming an elastic seal within the central orifice in the disc, the said rubber covering extending beyond the disc and adhering to the Wall of the toy in a flexible air-tight seal.

2. A collapsible rubber toy, having a tubular extension turned inwardly into the toy and presenting a rounded orifice, a disc inserted into said tubular extension, said disc having a central circular orifice, a short length of rubber tubing having a cylindrical portion extending into the circular central orifice in said disc and spaced therefrom, a seal of rubber surrounding said tubing and sealing same Within the orifice in said disc and extending over the disc and forming a seal with the inturned tubular portion of the body of the toy, the tubular member secured in the disc having a flattened noise-making inward extension.

ORBY B. CROWELL. 

